Shutter speed for flash photography

[Splutter]

Hi all, I was wondering how do you actually choose a suitable shutter speed when using flash to take photos. I was trying out a range of shutter speeds and i found that the exposure did not really change much. Is there a way to meter wat the exposure will be like with the flash?

Thanks in advance for answering

[AReality]

Did u take brackground with the subject also?
Try taking with background that is far away..

[mpenza]

The background (unaffected by flash) exposure will be different. If you want the background to be properly exposed, meter the background first without the subject.

In the past year, I have use flash on shots with shutter speed from 8s (to capture human portraits with city night scene/car trails as the background) to 1/1000s (to freeze motion/allow the use of large aperture in daylight). You could shoot faster or slower depending on the situation and the type of pic you want to make.

[clive]

Originally Posted by Splutter I was trying out a range of shutter speeds and i found that the exposure did not really change much.

thats quite true. what will gradually change is the related motion effects eg. moving sources of light eg car taillights registering as red streaks on film. longer streaks for longer shutter speeds. also for longer shutter speeds, u will notice colour shifts (reciprocity: 1 unit of light falling onto film for 1000 unit of time is not really equivalent to 1000 unit of light falling on film for 1 unit of time)

Originally Posted by Splutter Is there a way to meter wat the exposure will be like with the flash?

the metered value will me more or less same as if u didnt use flash at all. thats provided u r not using those "limiting modes" eg P mode which will usually fix the shutter speed at x-speed

if u want to "see" how hte scene ultimately looks like b4 firing the shot with flash...that one requires a bit of imagination. u got to anticipate where the shadow will fall n how much extra brightness will fall upon the foreground subject

[TME]

Originally Posted by clive thats quite true. what will gradually change is the related motion effects eg. moving sources of light eg car taillights registering as red streaks on film. longer streaks for longer shutter speeds. also for longer shutter speeds, u will notice colour shifts (reciprocity: 1 unit of light falling onto film for 1000 unit of time is not really equivalent to 1000 unit of light falling on film for 1 unit of time) the metered value will me more or less same as if u didnt use flash at all. thats provided u r not using those "limiting modes" eg P mode which will usually fix the shutter speed at x-speed if u want to "see" how hte scene ultimately looks like b4 firing the shot with flash...that one requires a bit of imagination. u got to anticipate where the shadow will fall n how much extra brightness will fall upon the foreground subject

Or u can use the modelling flash mode if you flash gun has one....

It's very tricky flash photography and u need patient subjects who can keep still if u are going to try what Mpenza has mentioned....... eh Mpenza can share what u feed your subjects or not?